Container and Method for Storing a Perishable Product

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates an improved container useful for maintaining the freshness of a moisture-sensitive, consumable product stored within the container. The present container is also designed to enable the consumer to access and sample the aroma of the product within the container without needing to completely open the container, thereby maintaining the quality of the product, and avoiding potential contamination. The present container utilizes a preserving product, such as a desiccant or humectant, which is positioned within a separate compartment apart from the product within the container. The desiccant removes moisture from the product and helps to maintain the freshness of the product while stored within the container.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a container and method for storing aperishable product, including moisture-sensitive and dried consumableproducts. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to containerutilizing a preserving material, such as a desiccant for maintaining thefreshness and quality of the products stored within the container,wherein the desiccant is in close proximity to, but not in directcontact with the products. Additionally, the present container isconfigured to permit limited access to the consumer to sample the scentor aroma of the products stored within the container, while maintainingthe tamper-evident security of the container and the product within thecontainer. The present disclosure further relates to a method forstoring and maintaining the freshness of a perishable, consumableproduct.

BACKGROUND

It is well known that desiccant materials are utilized in a variety ofconsumer products, from food products to medications to shoes andclothing, to remove moisture or other gases from a product while theproduct is packaged prior to consumption or use by a consumer. Desiccantmaterials, usually in the form of a sealed pouch or packet, are alsocommonly inserted within a bottle or other container for pharmaceuticalproducts, to absorb moisture and gasses. Desiccant pouches often includelettering which states the product is not edible. Examples of otheruseful desiccant pouches or containers include bags, odor absorbentpackages, fragrance sachets, vapor corrosion inhibitor (“VCI”)packaging, oxygen scavenging packets.

Silica crystals or powder is a typical desiccant material encased withinthe pouch or packet. Other forms of desiccants include metal salts,phosphorous compounds, activated charcoal, crystalline metalaluminosilicates, activated bentonites, silica gel, calcium sulfate,etc. “Desiccant materials” typically mean any material known in the artthat is capable of removing an unwanted gaseous compound or moisturefrom a specific environment.

In some instances, the desiccant pouch is placed in direct contact withthe product, such as inside a bottle of medication. However, there is apossibility the pouch could rupture and the desiccant material could mixwith the product, which would be highly undesirable. Additionally, thedesiccant pouch cannot be removed from the product without completelyopening the product container. Desiccants may also be used to preserveperishable products, including potpourri, dried herbs, even CBD andmedical and recreational cannabis products. For these and many otherconsumable products, non-toxic desiccant materials are preferred.

For the storage and display of consumable products, such as herbs, CBD,and medicinal and recreational cannabis products, it is preferable touse a container that the consumer can see and also potentially accessthe aroma of the products. However, it is also important to have acontainer which is secured, including a tamper-evident seal, tape orother closure, in order to maintain both the quality and safety of theproduct. Therefore, there is a need for a container or packaging thatpermits limited access to the consumer, for example to sample the aromaor scent of these types of products, while maintaining the tamper-prooffeature of the container.

In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide a container forpreserving a moisture-sensitive consumable product wherein a preservingmaterial, such as a desiccant is housed separate from the product withinthe container. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide acontainer wherein the product stored within the container is easilyaccessible to the consumer for sampling specifically the scent or aromaof the product, without the need to completely open the container.

A need, therefore, exists for an improved container for maintaining andprolonging the freshness of the consumable product stored within thecontainer. Specifically, a need exists for an improved container formaintaining the freshness of the product stored therein, whilepermitting the consumer to easily sample the aroma of the product.

Moreover, a need exists for an improved container designed to house anatural, non-toxic preserving material, such as a desiccant orhumectant, for maintaining the freshness of the product within thecontainer.

A need further exists for an improved container having a separatecompartment for housing the preserving material apart from theconsumable product within the container.

A need further exists for an improved container wherein the preservingmaterial is positioned in the compartment apart from but in closeproximity to the product stored within the container.

A need further exists for an improved container having a compartment forstoring the preserving material, the compartment having a separate lidfor accessing the compartment to remove, add or change the material.

A need further exists for an improved container having a removeable lidto permit sampling of the scent or aroma of the product within thecontainer, while maintaining the body of the container in a closed,tamper-proof configuration.

A need exists for a method for maintaining and prolonging the freshnessof a consumable product stored within the container. Specifically, aneed exists for an improved method for maintaining the freshness of theproduct, while permitting the consumer to easily sample the aroma of theproduct, without completely opening the container.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to improved container for storing aperishable, moisture-sensitive consumable product prior to consumptionby the consumer. Specifically, the present disclosure relates tocontainer having a separate compartment for receiving a preservingmaterial, such as a desiccant, useful for maintaining the freshness andquality of the perishable products stored within the container. Theseparate compartment positions the desiccant in close proximity to butnot in direct contact with the products stored within the container.Additionally, the present container permits the consumer limited accessto the products stored within the container for example, to sample thearoma of the products stored within the container, while maintaining thetamper-evident security of container and the quality of the productwithin the container.

To this end, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, an improvedcontainer is provided. The container comprises a bottom section havingan interior space for receiving a perishable product, a top sectionremovably secured to the bottom section, and a separate compartmentdisposed within the top section.

In another embodiment, the compartment is configured for receiving andstoring a suitable desiccant product, or alternatively a hydratingproduct, within the container for use in maintaining the freshness ofthe products stored within the bottom section of the container. Thecompartment further includes a top aperture or opening and an opposingbottom aperture or opening connecting the compartment to the bottomsection. The bottom aperture is formed by a plurality of small openings,which fluidly connect the compartment to the bottom section of thecontainer thereby permitting the flow of moisture, gasses, vapor oraromas from the product stored within the bottom section into thecompartment.

The present disclosure further relates to a method for maintaining andprolonging the freshness of a consumable product stored within acontainer. Specifically, the present disclosure provides an improvedmethod for maintaining the freshness of the product, while permittingvisual and sensory access to the product within the container, whereinthe consumer can easily see and potentially sample the aroma of theproduct without opening the container.

In yet another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a methodfor maintaining the freshness of a perishable, consumable product. Themethod comprises the steps of providing a container having a top sectionand a bottom section configured for storing the perishable consumableproduct, incorporating a preserving material into the top section of thecontainer for maintaining a moisture content of the product storedwithin the container, positioning the preserving material in closeproximity to the perishable consumable product within the container;and, permitting access to the perishable consumable product to aconsumer.

In a further embodiment the present disclosure relates to a containerfor storing a consumable product. The container comprises a top sectionand a bottom section, wherein the top section is removably secured tothe bottom section, the bottom section having an interior space forreceiving the consumable product, a compartment disposed within the topsection, the compartment having a top opening and an opposing bottomopening, a plurality of openings formed within the bottom opening of thecompartment, and wherein the compartment is configured to receive apreserving material and provide access to the product within the bottomsection.

It is, therefore, an advantage and objective of the present disclosureto provide an improved container, which maintains the freshness of aconsumable product stored within the container, while permitting limitedaccess to the product without breaching the tamper-evident seal of thecontainer.

It is further an advantage and objection of the present disclosure toprovide an improved container wherein the container is configured topermit limited access to the contents of the container withoutcompletely opening the container, thereby preserving the integrity ofthe product stored within the container.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention aredescribed in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of thepresently preferred embodiments and from the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord withthe present concepts, by way of example only, not by way of limitations.In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similarelements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an improved container accordingto the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective top view of the improved containeraccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional away view of the improved containeraccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a section view of the improved container according tothe present disclosure;

FIG. 4a illustrates a close-up view of the indentations for a lid;

FIG. 4b illustrates a close-up view of a connection area or junctionbetween the two sections of the container;

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of the improved container according to thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of the improved container according tothe present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the improved containeraccording to the present disclosure containing a suitable desiccant orhumectant;

FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view of the improved container of FIG. 7;and

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the improved container of FIG.7 containing a desiccant or humectant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to an improved container useful fordisplaying, storing and maintaining the freshness of the product storedwithin the container. The present container utilizes a preservingmaterial, such as a desiccant product or optionally a humectant, whichis positioned in a separate compartment within the container. Theadvantage of the present container is that the desiccant/humectant ispositioned within the container to be effective, but it does not comeinto direct contact with the product. Another advantage of the presentcontainer is that the compartment of the container also permits limitedaccess to the stored product, enabling the consumer to sample the aromaor scent of the product, without opening the container itself orbreaking the tamper-evident seal thereby preserving the integrity of theproduct stored within the container. The present disclosure furtherrelates to a method for maintaining the freshness of a perishable,consumable product stored within a container which is configured topermit limited access to the stored product without completely openingthe container.

Now referring to the figures, FIGS. 1-9 illustrate an improved container10 for storing perishable products and dried products, including driedherbs, medications, CBD-containing products, medicinal and recreationalcannabis products, etc. Although a specific shape of the container isshown, it should be understood the container 10 can have any suitableshape. The container 10 can be constructed from any durable, non-toxicmaterial, such as glass, metal or plastic. Ideally, the container 10 isclear or slightly opaque to easily display the products stored therein.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an embodiment of a container10 of the present disclosure. The hollow container generally comprisestwo pieces or sections—a closed bottom section 12 having an interiorspace 12 a and a bottom 12 b for receiving a product (not shown), and atop section 14. The top section 14 can be removably secured to thebottom section 12 utilizing any known securing or connecting feature,including as a screw top, snap together, inserting or seating the topsection into the bottom section, hinged or another suitable method. Thetwo sections 12, 14 are removably secured to each other so that theproducts can be easily added and removed from the container. Ideally,after being filled with the product, the container is not completelyopened again until purchased by the consumer.

Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the top section 14 isconnected to the bottom section 12, it is desirable to have atamper-evident seal 13, such as tape, sticker, plastic ring, or otherindicia positioned ideally between, around or over an intersection orjunction 15 of the two container sections. The tamper-evident seal 13can be positioned anywhere at the junction 15 between the top and bottomsections of the container, for example, as a vertical or horizontal tapestrip, or completely around the circumference of the container, similarto the clear plastic ring found on standard medicine bottles, or bottlesof consumable food products. Use of a tamper-evident seal 13,particularly for a consumable product, indicates to the consumer whetheror not the container itself has been opened, and also maintains thesafety and quality of the product. As described below, a feature andadvantage of the present container is that the product within thecontainer can be accessed in a limited manner by the consumer withouthaving to open the container body itself and disturbing thetamper-evident seal 13.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the top section 14 of the container furtherincludes a pocket or a compartment 16. The pocket or compartment 16 ofthe present container is designed to serve at least two functions.Initially, it holds a preserving material, such as a desiccant product30, or optionally a hydrating or humectant product, within thecontainer, but away from the product stored within the bottom section 12of the container 10. Second, when the desiccant 30 is removed from thecompartment, limited access is provided, particularly to the aromas ofthe product, so that the consumer can sample the product within thecontainer. Thus, the compartment 16 is configured to both preserve theproduct within the container 10 and permit limited access to the productby the consumer.

The pocket or compartment 16 is generally centered within and extendingdownward into the top section 14, with a circumference and a depth notexceeding that of the top section (FIG. 4). The compartment includes atop opening or aperture 21 and an opposing bottom opening or aperture22. As shown in FIGS. 4, and 5, a removable lid 18 is provide, whichspecifically seals the top aperture 21 of the compartment 16. The lid 18can be either partially or completely removable from the compartment. Inone embodiment, and as shown in FIGS. 4a and 5, at least one indentation20 is provided in the surface of the top section 14. Optionally, morethan one indentation, such as on opposing sides of the lid 18, areprovided. The indentation 20 or indentations are useful for seating thelid 18 on the top aperture of the compartment 16 and can also be usedfor leveraging and removing the lid from the top section 14 (FIG. 5).Removing the lid 18 permits access to the interior of the compartment 16to either remove, add or change the desiccant product 30 or hydratingproduct. Alternatively, the lid 18 may be attached by a hinge to thecompartment, so that it is not completely removed when opened.

As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom aperture 22 of the compartment 16 isformed as open structure or plurality of small openings, such as agrate, perforations or slots 24, which fluidly connect the compartmentwithin the top section to the product stored in the bottom section 12 ofthe container. These open structures 24 permit moisture, odors, gasses,etc., which may be given off by the product stored within the interior12 a of the bottom section 12 of the container to flow from the productinto the compartment 16 where it encounters the desiccant, humectant orother preserving material, depending on the requirements of specificproduct being stored within the container.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the compartment 16 is designed to holda preserving material 30, such as a desiccant which is useful to absorbmoisture and maintain the freshness of the product stored within thecontainer 10. The plurality of openings, perforations or slots 24 formedwithin the bottom aperture 22 of the compartment 16 permit any moisturefrom the product to reach and be absorbed by the preserving materialsitting on the slots without coming into direct contact with theproduct. A desiccant product 30 can be any known form and type ofdesiccant useful in the industry, such as those commonly used in thepharmaceutical industry. Ideally, because the present container 10 iscapable of storing a consumable product, it is preferable to use anon-toxic product, such as a sea salt, or a silica gel as a desiccant.For example, a desiccant, such as sea salt, would be encased in apermeable, breathable material, forming a puck shape which is placedwithin the compartment 16.

Optionally, if it is desired to maintain the freshness or revitalize thefreshness of the product within the container, a humectant product forretaining or preserving moisture, or a hydrostone may be used in placeof the desiccant. Hydrostones are often used to revitalize and keeptobacco fresh and may be used within the compartment 16 of the presentcontainer 10. The hydrostone is provided as a ball or bead, which isimmersed on water and then placed within the compartment 16 torevitalize the moisture of a dried product stored within the container.

In addition to holding the preserving material within the container 10,another unique feature of the compartment 16 with its plurality ofopenings 24 is that it permits limited access to the product storedwithin the container 10 without having to completely open the container,i.e., remove the top section 14 from the bottom section 12.Specifically, when the lid 18 of the compartment 16 is opened and thepreserving material 30 is removed, the plurality of openings 24 formingthe bottom aperture 22 of the compartment 16 allows the scent or aromaof the product to emanate or flow through the slots and into thecompartment. The advantage to this feature is that the product andspecifically the scent or aroma of the product, can be sampled by thecustomer prior to purchase without having to open the entire container10, i.e., separate the top section 14 from the bottom section 12.Sampling the aroma or scent of the product in this manner maintains thetamper-evident indicator 13 for the safety and security of the consumer,while maintaining the quality and integrity of the product, and alsoprotects the product from contamination and/or theft.

It should be noted that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention andwithout diminishing its attendant advantages. Further, referencesthroughout the specification to “the invention” are nonlimiting, and itshould be noted that claim limitations presented herein are not meant todescribe the invention as a whole. Moreover, the inventionillustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absenceof any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.

I claim:
 1. A container for storing a perishable product comprising: abottom section having an interior space for receiving a perishableproduct; a top section removably secured to the bottom section, and aseparate compartment disposed within the top section.
 2. The containerof claim 1, wherein the compartment is centrally positioned within thetop section.
 3. The container of claim 1, wherein the compartmentincludes a top aperture and an opposing bottom aperture.
 4. Thecontainer of claim 3, wherein the top aperture is covered by a lid. 5.The container of claim 4, wherein the lid is removably secured to thetop aperture to the compartment.
 6. The container of claim 2, whereinthe bottom aperture is formed as a plurality of slots.
 7. The containerof claim 6, wherein the bottom aperture fluidly connects the top sectionwith the bottom section.
 8. The container of claim 6, wherein the bottomaperture permits access to an aroma emitted by the product stored withinthe bottom section of the container.
 9. The container of claim 1,wherein a tamper-evident seal is provided at a junction between the topsection and the bottom section.
 10. The container of claim 9, whereinthe tamper-evident seal is positioned vertically along the junctionbetween the top section and the bottom section.
 11. The container ofclaim 9, wherein the tamper-evident seal is positioned horizontallyalong the junction between the top section and the bottom section.
 12. Amethod for maintaining the freshness of a perishable, consumableproduct, the method comprising the steps of: providing a containerhaving a top section and a bottom section, the bottom section configuredfor storing the perishable consumable product; incorporating apreserving material into the top section of the container formaintaining a moisture content of the product stored within thecontainer; positioning the preserving material in close proximity to theperishable consumable product within the container; and, permittingaccess to the perishable consumable product to a consumer.
 13. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the method further includes the step ofpositioning the preserving material within a chamber in the top sectionof the container and separate from the consumable product within thecontainer.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method furtherincludes the step of removing the preserving material from the chambercontainer to permit access to the consumable product.
 15. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the method further includes permitting access to theperishable consumable product without removing the top section from thebottom section of the container.
 16. A container for storing aconsumable product comprising: a top section and a bottom section,wherein the top section is removably secured to the bottom section; thebottom section having an interior space for receiving the consumableproduct; a compartment disposed within the top section, the compartmenthaving a top and an opposing bottom opening; a plurality of openingsformed within the bottom opening of the compartment; and, wherein thecompartment is configured to receive a preserving material and provideaccess to the product within the bottom section.
 17. The container ofclaim 16, wherein the compartment is fluidly connected to the bottomsection.
 18. The container of claim 16, wherein the compartment retainsthe preserving material in close proximity to the consumable product.19. The container of claim 16, wherein the compartment retains thepreserving material from direct contact with the consumable product. 20.The container of claim 16, wherein the compartment is configured toprovide sensory access to the consumable product.